The present invention relates to a vehicle display device.
As is known, currently used vehicle display devices comprise analog or digital on-vehicle instruments normally indicating quantities such as vehicle speed, engine speed, fuel level, etc.; and a number of optical indicators showing various vehicle states, such as lights on, engine oil level, cooling water temperature, etc.
Most analog instruments comprise, for each display quantity, a needle gauge showing the value of the quantity on a graduated scale normally comprising a number of numeric characters, the size, and style of which are determined at the instrument design stage, while optical indicators normally comprise standard rear-lighted graphic symbols, each indicating a respective vehicle state.
Most digital instruments comprise, for each display quantity, an indicator comprising an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or a number of light-emitting elements (LEDs), which may be illuminated selectively to form a numeric character indicating the value of the quantity in a respective unit of measurement, or sequentially to indicate the level of the quantity on a graduated scale similar to that of analog instruments.
The instrument character size and style and the size of the optical indicator graphic symbols are not always suitable in terms of visibility by the driver, whose eyesight may be impaired by disease or age, and which normally worsens with advancing years.
Moreover, the colour and background contrast of the characters and graphic symbols do not always allow of immediate interpretation by the driver in different outside light conditions, as in strong sunlight.
Also, as the on-vehicle instruments and optical indicators are defined at the vehicle design stage, currently used display devices do not permit later extensions to cater to functions not provided for at the device design stage, such as navigational systems indicating the on-road location of the vehicle, road traffic indicating systems, etc.
Known display devices therefore fail to adapt to the personal visual requirements of the driver, and to allow of later additions to accommodate functions not provided for at the vehicle design stage.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a display device designed to overcome the limitations typically associated with known devices.
According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle display device comprising display means for displaying information and fittable to an instrument panel of a vehicle; characterized in that said display means may be modified as regards information display parameters comprising display type, size, colour and style; said display device also being characterized by comprising control means for controlling said display means and modifying at least one of said display parameters.